Proc Indian Natn Sci Acad 82 No. 3 July Spl Issue 2016 pp. 1021-1037 Printed in India. DOI: 10.16943/ptinsa/2016/48501 Institutional Report India Meteorological Department S I LASKAR*, KIRAN JASWAL, M K BHATNAGAR and L S RATHORE India Meteorological Department, New Delhi 110 003, India (Received on 29 March 2016; Accepted on 25 June 2016) Introduction meteorological diversity to meet administrative and operational requirements, presently whole India is India Meteorological Department (IMD) under divided into six regional meteorological centres with Ministry of Earth Sciences is the principal Government headquarter located at New Delhi. agency in all matters relating to Meteorology, Seismology and allied disciplines and provides weather From a modest beginning, IMD has progressively and climate services to the public and specialized expanded its infrastructure for meteorological sectors. It was setup in 1875 by the Government of observations, communications, forecasting and India with an objective to study systematically the weather services and has achieved a parallel scientific climate and weather in India as a whole with its growth. IMD operates a network of hundreds of headquarters at Kolkata. In view of geophysical and surface and glacial observatories, upper air *Author for Correspondence: E-mail: [email protected] 1022 S I Laskar et al. stations, ozone and radiation observatories and cause destruction to life and property, agriculture meteorological radar stations. Additional data is etc. received from India’s constellation of satellites, such l To provide Climatological information required as Kalpana-1, Megha-Tropiques and instruments on for agriculture, water resource management, board the IRS series and the INSAT series of industries, oil exploration and other nation- satellites. IMD was the first weather bureau of a building activities. developing country to develop and maintain its own l To conduct and promote research in satellite system. Data and observations are also meteorology and allied disciplines. reported into the IMD network from meteorological instruments on board Indian merchant marine and l To detect and locate earthquakes and to evaluate Indian Navy ships. IMD has always used seismicity in different parts of the country for contemporary technology. In the telegraph age, it development projects. made extensive use of weather telegrams for collecting Major Services of the Department observational data and sending warnings. Later IMD became the first organization in India to have a The meteorological services have significant impact message switching computer for supporting its global on every sphere of life. The demand for accurate data exchange. One of the first few electronic prediction of weather and climate at short and long computers introduced in the country was provided to time scales is increasing due to the increased IMD for scientific applications in meteorology. IMD awareness of possible impacts of weather and has continuously ventured into new areas of application climate. During recent years, the department has and service. It has simultaneously nurtured the growth undergone a changeover from being a data provider of meteorology and atmospheric science in India. IMD to service provider. Improved and reliable forecast of is also one of the six regional specialized weather and climate requires routine integrations of meteorological centres of the World Meteorological observations using very high resolution dynamical Organization (WMO). It has the responsibility for models with high complexity (e.g. coupled ocean - forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings atmosphere - biosphere – cryosphere models). for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean Acombined approach involving land, ocean and region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of atmospheric processes hold the key to improve the Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Today, forecasts at various temporal and spatial ranges for meteorology in India is poised at the threshold of an providing a credible policy tool. Intensive monitoring exciting future. of various weather systems through different platform based observing systems including satellites provide Vision not only the necessary information about weather systems but their assimilation in numerical models The vision of India Meteorological Department is to provides accurate forecasts. nurture the science and technology of meteorology to provide increasingly more efficient Weather and Hydro Meteorological Services Climate Services for safety of life and property and to contribute to the cause of national development. IMD renders assistance and advice on the meteorological aspect of hydrology, water Mission management and multipurpose river valley projects. l To take meteorological observations and to The hydrometeorological services consist of provide current weather and weather forecasts/ compilation of rainfall statistics, meteorological analysis meteorological information for optimum of different river catchments for project authorities operation of weather-sensitive activities like and providing meteorological support for flood warning agriculture, irrigation, shipping, aviation, offshore and flood control operations to field units of Central oil explorations etc. Water Commission.Hydromet division of IMD caters l To warn against severe weather phenomena like to the information on various rainfall products through tropical cyclones, Norwesters, dust storms, heavy its ‘Customized Rainfall Information System’ (CRIS) rains and snow, cold and heat waves, etc. which in the form of reports and maps on the CRIS portal. India Meteorological Department 1023 Research Programmes in (i) Design Storm evaporation observatories, dewfall recording Analysis (ii) Rainfall Frequency Analysis and (iii) observatories and soil moisture observatories. The Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) are the data received from these observatories are scrutinized, ongoing hydrometeorological activities.The QPF archived and supplied to scientists, planners etc. provided by IMD is an important component which through National Data Centre, Pune. is utilized by Central Water Commission for flood prediction in rivers’ catchments and their basins area. Environmental Services The sub-basinwise QPF is being issued (daily on In addition to routine weather monitoring and operational basis) during flood season by 10 Flood forecasting, the environment, air quality and air Meteorological Offices (FMOs) and Meteorological pollution monitoring are some other areas of Centre, Srinagar in flood prone areas to Flood responsibility of the Department. Information gathered Forecasting Division (FFDs) of Central Water through environmental monitoring is important to Commission (CWC). decisionmakers, inside and outside the government. Climate Data Monitoring & Services IMD has taken initiatives to establish the environmental monitoring networks for environmental impact National Climate Centre is responsible for weather assessments and harmful effects on the natural data management of IMD. Climate data products viz. environment. IMD provides environmental daily gridded rainfall and temperature data CDs are meteorological services to the Ministry of supplied to different national & international institutes. Environment, Forests and Climate Change and conducts environmental impact assessment of Meteorological Services for Agriculture in India development projects. IMD also provides air quality In order to provide direct services to the farming forecast services to public under the project System community of the country, an exclusive division of for Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Agricultural Meteorology was set up in 1932 under with IITM, Pune. the umbrella of IMD at Pune with the objective to Astronomical Services minimize the impact of adverse weather on crops and to make use of favourable weather to boost Positional Astronomy Centre (PAC) is the nodal office agricultural production. It is also the centre for of the Govt. of India to generate data on Positional research programmes in agricultural meteorology and Astronomy and to publish the same in the form of has field units in various parts of the country. Besides, annual publications. This centre also prepares forecasts and advisories for farmers are issued by Rashtriya Panchang containing the Indian National IMD’s forecasting offices located at different state Calendar data based on Saka Era as recommended capitals. by the Calendar Reform Committee and also All India Sidereal Solar Calendar dates based on Kali Era Services of the division are : recommended by the Peer Review Committee along l Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva with other usual panchang parameters. Rashtriya l Dissemination of Agromet Advisories Panchang is published annually in 14 different languages and all data in the publication are generated l Feedback and awareness of Agromet service on modern scientific principle to promote panchang l Training programmes forAgrometeorological calculations throughout the country on correct Field Units. scientific formulae. As such the centre issues the following 16 publications annually: District level AAS bulletins are prepared and issued by Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) located in (i) The Indian Astronomical Ephemeris (ii) State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes, IITs Tables of Sunrise- Sunset, Moonrise-Moonset (iii) etc. At present these bulletins are issued for 633 Rashtriya Panchang in 14 languages namely: English, districts